Man accused of hitting teen who wouldn’t turn off iPhone

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOISE, Idaho -- A man on a Southwest Airlines flight from Las Vegas to Boise, Idaho, struck a teenager who refused to turn off his cell phone, police said.

Officers arrested Russell E. Miller, 68, on Tuesday at the Boise airport on suspicion of misdemeanor battery. He has been released from jail on bond.

KBOI-TV reported that witnesses told police the 15-year-old, who was traveling alone, was playing games and listening to music on an iPhone when flight attendants instructed passengers to turn off electronic devices. Boise police spokesman Charles McClure said the plane was leaving McCarran International Airport at the time.

Witnesses said that when the teen didn't respond, Miller got angry and struck him in the arm.

The Idaho Statesman reported that Miller said he "tapped" the teen on the shoulder after the boy refused to turn off the phone. Police noted a visible red mark on the teen's arm, but it did not require medical attention.

Miller told the newspaper that he may have "overreacted," but that he did not punch the teen.